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Friday, November 29, 2013

Book Speed Dating Round Three

I came up with the idea of speed dating my books when my GoodReads "To-Read" Shelf passed six hundred items. I remembered Nancy Pearl's advice that you should give a book 50 pages, and decided to try doing so with a pile of books from the earliest items on my to-read list (started in 2009.) I did two successful speed dating projects - one in June of 2011 and one in April earlier this year in 2013. They are getting closer together, and for good reason. This is a great way to get the books I don't actually want to read out of my house! I spent some time compiling a third pile and decided to tackle it as part of NaNoReadMo.

There is no rhyme or reason to this pile other than the date they were added to my to-read list. I accidentally gathered more than I intended, but it worked out okay. Some I finished right away, and others I discarded without even giving them 50 pages. I'll explain why in the list below. If you want more detailed reviews, please see my GoodReads profile. Copying and pasting it all here seemed redundant.

Books finished right away:

Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki (graphic novel, from a now closed publisher in Toronto)

Lying Awake by Mark Salzman

Cleaving by Julie Powell

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Books Still Listed as To-Read, because I like them enough to continue:

Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

Mirrorshades by Bruce Sterling

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike

Glasshouse by Charles Stross

Shards by Ismet Prcic

In the Woods by Tana French

Books I'm Uncertain About Only 50 Pages In, but I'll keep reading (they deserve a second date at the very least):

Atlas of Unknowns by Tania James

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

The Ten Thousand Things by Maria Dermoût

Books I've Abandoned Officially
(Please note these are my own impressions, and they might just not be my thing! That's the point of a speed date - gut reaction, decision MADE. I'm rather proud of how many I've rejected, actually. I need the space!)

Spooner by Pete DexterNot my thing, and by page 4, I had already grown weary of his use of racial slurs.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan BradleyYou say precocious, I say obnoxious.

Lit by Mary KarrBecause I'm not very interested in reading about someone ruining their life.

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie MooreJust not compelling, no idea why it's on the list to begin with.

Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler's Ninth Symphony by Lewis ThomasA book of essays that is probably out of date at this point.

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif LarsenIt made me feel impatient.

It's Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive by Evan HandlerWhile he has had major setbacks with cancer, I wasn't that interested in what he had to say.

Ariel by Steven R. BoyettI was all in until the talking unicorn showed up.

The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas LlosaSeems more like a summary of a plot than an actual story.

What's next? Well, I'm trying to decide between getting another speed dating pile together or finishing some of what I started! Probably both. I have some time off coming in December which would be perfect for another pile.